Combination floor and platform truck



H. a. ANTHONY. COMBINATION FLOOR AND PLATFORM TRUCK. APPLICATION HLEDMAY 12, I920.

Patented-Apr. 25, 1922.

2 SHlETS-SHEET I.

H. e. ANTHONY.

COMBINATION FLOOR AND PLATFORM TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIZ, 1920. 1,414,163. Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

l 5. v 17 3% 69 5 861- z5 3465 as -1 f? @z 32 m k UNITE sures Parser ra irrAnoLn e. ANTHONY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) i Specification of Letters Patent.

COMBINATION FLOOR AND I'LATFQRM'TRU'TCK.

Application filed May 12, 1920. Serial 330,310..

- the floor a load to be conveyed by means of the truck, said means being particularly des gned to minimize the amount of. energy required in elevatlng a load from the floor and in lowering the same gently on to the floor. Afurther object lies in the provision of a skeleton truck by means of which various types of load carrying-devices may be elevated, transported and deposited. an-

i other object is to provide such a skeleton truck with a permanently attached body the supporting deck of which normally lies flushupon the floor, the combined truck and floor oody being arranged so that the ordinary elevated platform body may be elevated, transported and deposited even though the floor body remains a part of the truck.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionwill appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the ac companying drawings which form a part ferredembodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

I Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the present invention, showmg in dotted lines a floor body mounted thereon.

F i,g. 2 is a side elevation thereof. p Figi3 is an end elevation of the invention. j 1

' .Fig. tis a view similar to Fig-2 showing the elevated position of the parts.

Fig. v5 is a section taken on line 5-'-5 of .igs. 6, 7 and 8 arefragmentary details illustrating three. successive positions of parts of the invention during the elevation". of the upper frameof the-truck.

Fig. 9 is a. perspective view of a. floor body for the present invention. I I

Fig. 10 is a perspective view" of a platform atented Apnea. 1922.

body therefor on a slightly reduced 11- from thatof Fig. 9.

Reference numerals 21 generally the lower and upperframes re spectively of the present invention. These frames are U-shaped in plan view and come, prise legs of channel-iron, those of the. lower framehaving their concavities upwardly enposedandlthose of the upper? frame being superposed above. the lower frame legs with their concavities inwardly exposed to permit the positioning within the respective legs of operating mechanism to be described. The legs of the lower frame are for convenience respectively numbered 23'and 24 whilethose of the upper and 22 indicate. I

frame are respectively numbered 25 and 26. -The' forward ends of the lower. frame are connected by across reach 27;" as well as a brace 28, while the forward ends of.

the. upper. frame legs have, their horizontal upper web's slotted to' accommodate the nor; 5

tical portions .of inverted'Uj-shapefd handj rail 29 upstanding from the lower Just to the rear of 'theisenpper'frame slots, and consequently, near their forward ends the upper legs 25 and are connected by a cross bar 31. The apparatus so farfldescribedis made'readily' movable byfa pair of rear wheels 32 mount edon short alined axes fixed in the respective lower frame legs 23 and 24 near. the rear of the truck, I

while a'pair of casters 33 supportthe for ward end ofthe truck 'andare preferably" it I (connected to thel brace 28. of thiskspecification' and illustrate the pre- 7 Frontand rear shoes-:34 a

re provided in each lower frame leg 23 and 245, these shoes belng pivotally mounted within the channel lI'OIl on axes 35. "The forward end of each shoe is upturned to form a stop 36. For each of the four shoes of thelower frame a slide block 37 is provided, pivoted in and depending from the upper frame legs 25 and-26. on -a.xes38.' The slide blocks rest and; slide upon their respective" shoes; and

wardly of thevertical'line passing through v pivot 35, the upper truck. ;frame22 has a 1 constant, gravity induced tendency to def .sc'end .frc nith'e elevated position of. Figs.

4, 5 and 8. to the lowered position shown in releasably hooked over studs 47*which project laterally from the lower portion of lever 41. In the normal or lowered. posi tion of the upper frame 22, the lever 41*; drawn against the forward side of the hand rail 29 and between spaced spring clips '50, as shown .in'Figs. 1 and'Q, and it moves forwardly and downwardly to the position of Fig. 4 in elevating the upper frame.

In Fig. 9 is shown what I term alloor body 48 for the truck hereinabove described,

- while Fig. 10 illustrates a platform body 49 therefor. Thefloor body is preferably a single steel casting comprising a lOtlClTGCBlV- ing bed 51 normally resting flatly on the floor; upstanding sides 52; a forward up right end' 53; and a horizontal out-turned flangeS-iextending around the sides and one end; The rear end of'the fi'oor body 48 is open to permit the shifting of heavy article's upon bed 51' with'the minimum'elevation of such articles duringtheloading'of, the floor body. The 'fioor'body, exclusive; of flange 54,'is of such width as to be readily received between the parallel sides (23 and25 on the right and 24 and 261011 the left) of the skeleton truck above described, and flange 54 'is'at such height from the floor as to overlie the top of upper frame 22 when the latter is .in lowered position-see Fig.

1 The platformbody 49 comprises ahorizontal'recei-ving deck 55 held above the floor.

by parallel side uprights '56 at a height sufficient to permit 'the lowered upper frame 7 :22 to run beneath it.

The skeleton truck shown in F igs. 1 to 4 may, if desired, have permanently attached to it the floor body 48, and the uprights 56 of the platform body 49 are preferably of sufficient height to permit the skeleton truck as well as the'permanentlyattached floor body to be readily rolled beneath the deck55. This arrange ment is indicated in Fig. 5, wherethesfloor body 48 is shown as it would appear when permanently attached to the upper truck frame; and where the platform body/l9 is 'also'sh own as resting upon the flange, 54 of the'floor platform.. The uprights 56 of the platform body are, however, so limited in height that, while they permit of the arrangement just above mentionech'and'of being elevated from the floor whileresting upon the flanges 54, the platform bodymay nevertheless be elevated from the floor, by

the skeleton truck alone without the interposltion of a permanently attached. floor body.

in the operation of the invention, a load of goods to be moved is placed upon'the bed 51ofthe floor body. The upper frame of the skeleton truck is now lowered till the lower edges of its side channels rest upon the upper edges of the side channels of the lower frame as best seen in Figs. 2 and 6. in this position of the parts the hand lever 41 is in the upright positionshow'nin Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Grasping the hand rail, the operator backs the skeleton truck toward the closed forward end of the floor platform,

causing the legs of the U-shaped skeleton truck to pass beneath the longitudinalor side portions of flangeL5 4, The-operator now depresses the hand lever 41 to the posi; tion shownin Fig. 4 thereby elevating-"the floor platform andits loadyfrom the floor,

so that they are free to be rolled about on the truck itself.v Animportant feature of the present invention lies in. the action of the shoes 34 and their companionelevating membera the slide blocks 37. This action is illustrated inFigrs. 6,7 and .8. When the legs of the truck have been positioned b eneath the flange 5.4,t-here may abesome slight space between. the bottom of the flange and the top surface of the upperjtruckframe 22; in fact there is preferably. such a space in order'thatthe steam be readily-posh. tinned beneath the flange. This space isfindicated by the relative positions of theupper frameilegs 25 and the flange 54 in'Fig. '6'. Duringthe first operation'of theldownward movement oflever 41, the blocks stands obliquely forward and upward upon the shoes 84 to take up this spaceand bring'the upper frame against the lower surface of the flange 54'. a This latterposit'ion ofthe parts isillustrateddn Fig; 7, wherein it fis also seen that the forward end of block 37 'has impinged'against the stop 86 which'is an integral port-ionofjthe shoe 34. ,This same action has of course taken placedn'all four sets of slide. block and shoe. Further down ward and forward movement'of the lever 41 causes the now relatively v fixed slide blocks and shoes' to tilt about their-respective axes 38 and '35, sothat the'actual elevation of thefioor body and its loadjis aecorn plished by apivotal movement oft-he blocks.

and shoes in'theiu' respective frames; Be cause of the partial elevationof pivot 38 from 1ts. lowest position, the actual raising of theload to the highest position, as indi- ,catedin Fig. 8, is accomplished much more readily'by the pivotal movementof the parts than it would be by the'slidi'ng'movement occurring between the positions'iof' Figs 6 and 7; But the forward and" upward obliquelysliding movement of the blocks upon their; shoes before'tlie weight of the load is assumed on the skeleton truck reduces to Y elevate then-ppei' frame of the truck from the position of Fig. (ii to thatof Fig. 7. lVere the pivots 185' and: 38 to be connected by a stiff link mounted by ends on these pivots, greater force would be required" to i arcomplish this first-"partial elei' 'ation of the upper frame into cr ntact with the 54;. The position of Fig. 8 illustrates the highest elevation of the upper frame from the lower but it will be noted that pivots 35 and are not in vertical alin'em'ent, but that 38 standsrearwardly of 35 so that the upper frame a ndiits load: have a constant gravity induced tendency to drop back into the position' of Fig. 6'. This tendency islovercoine by a sp'rin-gcatch on the upper franie snap+ pi' n'gover a lug; 011th?) lower frame, releasing the" hooks on the handle allowing a free movementofhand le 41m steer truck-with its floor bodyand load to any desired point.

*Indepositing the floorbody and its load at'the desired location the operator may, if he desires, lower the'loadby releasing the spring" catch with the foot tri-p pedal 57 allowing the loa'dto descend by gravity, but

if this is resorted to the irecise aositionin a of the fioo r'bodyIand itslload in the location desired is Snot-so accurate as that which I have provided for. depositing the body'- and'loadI prefer to hold the lower frame fix'e'dlyirrposition where it stands, and, by means of. a pedal 57, to trip the hooksdl: from studs at, thus suddenly releasing the upper frame, the body, and the load to the action of gravity. To prevent undue shookv tively movable lower and upper frames, of

two of these air cushioning devices as gen- I erally indicated at- 64 in Fig. l one at each side of the truck. The action of this air cushioning device is to cushion the fall of the upper frame and its load so that the fioor body. or the platform body, as the case may be, will drop gradually and without jar from elevated to lowered position, in which latter the platform and load are supported upon the floor.

The use of the skeleton truck in connection with the platform body 49 is so similar to its action as related to the floor body 48 as to be readily understood without long description. The skeleton body in the lowered position of Fig. 2 is backed between t e uprights 56 and below the deck 55 following which it and its load are elevated and .said relative movement.

droppedpreciselyin: the manner above. de-. I scribed with respect to thefioor bod-y; ain 'lifllmu-ln -tl'le leverage force required to I claim:

: 1.- In: a truck, the combination with rel-atively movable lower and upper frames, of a plurality" of shoes prvotally mounted on said lowetfrzhne. a slide block-for each of saida shoes pivotally mounted in said upper frame, said blocks being arranged to slide upon said shoes in: acommon oblique direction, and means for causing relative move.-

mcnt between said frames.

In a truck, the combination with rela-i tiv'ely inrovable lower*and upper frames, of; a' plurality of shoes pivotally'"mounted on said lower frame, a. slide block for each of said shoespivotally": mounted inflsaid upper frame, said blocks being arranged to slide;

causing limited said frames.

In a truck, the combination-with relatively Inovable'lower. and upper frames, of.

a plurality of shoes pivotall-y mounted-on said lower frame. a "slii'de. bloclrfor geach' of said'shoes pivotally mounted in said" upper; frame, said blocks: being arranged to slide, upon. said shoes in common oblique 'direc-f tioia;.-"stepslimiting the upward movement of the blocks on thei shoes, and ineansQ forraisin-g limited relative movemen-tbetweeir said frames," saidiblocl'rs' shoes being joined tongue-and groove connection elongated; in: the direction of relative; movement ofsaid frame members. I

4L. In a truck. the combination withi'relaa plurality of shoes pivotally mounted on said lower frame, a slide block foreachof said shoes pivotally mounted in said upper frame, said blocks being arrangedtoslide upon said shoes in a common oblique direction. stops limitingtheupward movement 5. In a truck,the combination with rela-k tively movable lower. andupper frames, and

means for relatively actuating the-same to a limited extent, of devices interposed bei tween said frames whereby. the latter slide one upon the other during a portion of their relative movement andmove pivotally one upon the other during the rema nder of means for causing limited relative move ment therebetween of a plurality of shoes pivotally mounted in the lower frame, .a

with rela-' 110 of the blocks on the shoes, and means for I. causing limited relative movement between slide block for each shoe pivotally mounted in the upper frame, the axes of said blocks beinglocated rearwardly of the axes of said shoes, said shoes and blocks being mounted to slide' one upon the other during a portion of-the relative movement of the frames; and a stop arranged to arrest said sliding movement before the termination of the relative movementof said frames.

7. In a truck, the combination of a U-shaped 1 frame, comprising upper and lower members, "each channelshaped in cross section and superposed one upon the other with the open sides of the channels in opposed relation, cooperating means pivoted in the channels of said respective members whereby the upper member will be raised relatlvely to l the lower upon relative longitudinal move ment between said members, wheels disposed beneath the upper plane of the frame upon which said frameiscarried, and means for causing a relative movement between said members, said frame being adapted to straddle and to be rolled beneath an object to be carried and to lift said object by relative movement between said members.

' 8. In a truck, the combination of a U-shaped frame comprising upper and lower' mem- V bers, each channel shaped in cross section,

saidmembers being disposed one above the other with the open faces of the channels in opposed relation, means 'pivotally mounted in said channels whereby the upper member is raised relatively to therlower upon rela tive longitudinal movement between said members, carrying wheels disposed beneath the plane of the top of said upper member so that the truck may be bodily rolled beneath a lateral projection disposed in prox imity to the floor and extending laterally froman object to be moved, and meansfor.

causing a relative movement between said members whereby said uppermember 1s elevated with respect to thelower to thereby lift and carry said object.

9. In a truck, the combination of a U-shaped horizontal frameadapted to straddle an object to be lifted and transported and com-1 prising upper and lower correspondingly shaped relatively movable members, carry-V ing wheels mounted on the lower member and disposed. entirely beneath the plane of. thetop of the frame, means pivotally mounted uponthe respective members in cooperativerelation to lift the upper member relatively to the lower upon relative longitudiwardly, and means pivotally mounted in opposed relatlon in, the channels of said 're- 'spective' frames wherebythe upper frame 7 p may be elevated ,relatively to the lower frame upon longitudinal movement between said frames.

HAROLD e. ANTHONYQ I 

